Breaking Silence
by OreozFox
Summary: It's no secret that the Chain User is after the Ryodan. But what if something lost and forgotten to time was emerging? What if that something, pure as it may be, was bent on revenge? (HxH AU. Eventual pairing, Sequel to Trust)
1. Chapter 1- Meeting X With X Pairo

I flinched as another frigid gust of wind blew against me. _Why did I have to meet up with him today of all days?_ I thought bitterly.

Many people were still wandering the streets of YorkNew City, even on such a horrid day, with their scarves flapping wildly with each gust of wind.

The next wind came unexpectedly, taking my hat right off my head. I whirled around and tried to grab it, but my fingers passed through air. "Dang it!"

I was about to turn around when a figure appeared in front of me. I yelped.

"Oh, did I scare you, Aiko? I apologize." I looked up to see a teenage boy barely older than me smiling sheepishly. "Is this yours?" He was holding my hat in an offering manner. It was Pairo, my friend who I hadn't seen since December. _At least that gets meeting up with him out of the way..._

"Pairo, there you are!" I exclaimed. "How did you…?" I thought aloud as I gazed at his defining feature. Where his eyes would be was a white bandage wrapped around his head like a blindfold.

"Oh." Pairo said, running his fingers along the bandage. "I didn't see it, of course. It landed on my face."

I took the hat from him. "You're a lifesaver, Pairo, even accidentally. Now, let's get out of the cold and go catch up! You've gotta tell me about the Exam, right?"

"Right." He said, smiling. "I was looking for your apartment, but I got a bit lost. I must've forgotten my way around town."

"Ohh, poor baby." I teased.

"It's alright, I'll remember it eventually." Pairo replied, either ignoring my sarcasm or just not catching it. It was kind of hard to tell with him. With the simple way he talked, he could go from idiot to genius in a second, or just blur the line between the two.

As I led him down the sidewalk, I took in our considerable height difference. You almost couldn't tell that he was the slightly crippled little boy that had showed up on my neighbor's doorstep seven years ago.

Finally, we showed up at my apartment. I headed up the steps and unlocked the door. After stepping inside and turning on the light, I turned towards Pairo. "Uh...do you remember the way around in here? I don't want you running into anything."

Pairo smiled. "I'll be alright. It's not like I'll be snooping anyway."

We headed into the living room and sat across from each other.

I decided to start the conversation. "So, how did the Exam go?"

Pairo pulled out a brand new Hunter License. "I passed, of course!"

"That's great, Pairo! I knew you would! So, what kind of Hunter do you want to be, after you master Nen?"

Pairo's expression immediately became serious, with the absence of his eyes not changing how his stare bore into mine.

"You should know that, Aiko, better than anyone. I'm going to become a Blacklist Hunter and hunt down the Phantom Troupe. That's a promise that I will never break."


	2. Chapter 2- A X Serious X Conversation

I stared at Pairo's face with the same overbearing concern I'd felt for him since we met. Pairo's expression didn't falter.

Finally, I sighed, looking down at my hands. "I know you want to get your revenge, Pairo. I'm just worried. It doesn't have anything to do with your blindness, I promise, it's just that…" I trailed off, knowing that he understood what I meant.

Pairo nodded. "I know you're worried. But I _have_ to be the one to take down the Troupe. It's just as much my business as anyone else's." His voice was calm and gentle, but I could feel the edge in it, as distantly nagging as the memory in the back of his mind, the whole reason he had a grudge against the Troupe. Even if it wasn't my business, it was still hard for me to bring it up, to remind him of the day he lost everything, including his sight. It bothered me to think that his eyes were floating in a jar on some collector's shelf.

I quickly pushed the thought away and tried to change the subject. "Do you want something to drink?"

"No, thank you."

 _Strike one._

"Uh, what was the Exam like?"

"Difficult. I suppose it was fun, though."

It was then that I noticed the distant tone in his voice. It didn't take long to realize that something was on his mind.

"Pairo, what's wrong?"

"Uh-" he stammered, as if he thought I wouldn't notice. "N-nothing."

" _Pairo."_ I repeated firmly.

"Really, it's nothing." Pairo shifted in his seat, knowing that I was onto him.

"Don't give me that, Pairo. You might as well fess up."

"Aiko…" he sighed. "I really don't want to involve you in this."

"It's about the Troupe, isn't it?"

More of that nervous stammering. _I hate when he does that…_

"...Yes, it is."

"Pairo, I know that I'll never understand how it feels, and I'm sorry for that. That's why I want to help you."

"Alright, I get it, just cut out that gushy stuff." Pairo said, nervously rubbing the back of his neck. "I found out something at the Exam."

"Well, spill the beans."

"I found out…" Pairo turned his head towards me again. "...that someone else is after the Troupe."


	3. Chapter 3- A Look X Into X The Past

I tensed at the bitterness in Pairo's voice. "Are… you sure?"

Pairo nodded. "Positive. I heard from a few Applicants that over the past year or so, multiple Troupe members that are usually seen with the group have vanished and been presumed dead. But who else would go after the Phantom Troupe without some sort of motivation?"

"No idea." I replied absently. I knew how much this must irritate him. After all, he had made a vow when we were still children that he would be the one to slay the Troupe, and now he had some form of competition.

"Well…" Pairo sighed. "I was hoping to enjoy spending time with you for a while, but I suppose that'll have to wait."

"Aww, you missed me that much?" I teased.

"Of course I did. There wasn't a single day of the Exam that you didn't cross my mind. I wish we'd taken the Exam together." His reply was simple, but there was something about it that made me feel uneasy. "However, I have another important matter to discuss with you. I can't go after the Troupe easily without being a full-fledged Hunter." Pairo's eyeless gaze locked onto mine again. "Aiko, teach me Nen."

The request didn't surprise me. However, I was hoping we could relax for a bit before jumping back into Pairo's revenge complex. Oh well...

"Well, it won't be that simple. If you want to open your aura nodes naturally, it could take months."

He nodded again. "I understand. We can begin early tomorrow." He got up from the couch and reached for his bag. "Until then, I'd better-"

I made a grab for his wrist. "No you don't. I'm not letting you wander blindly around town for hours again."

"Aiko, I _am_ blind."

"Exactly my point. Besides, we haven't had the chance to catch up. C'mon, Pairo, at least overnight." I pleaded, keeping a firm grip on his arm.

"N-no, I couldn't impose like that. There's not enough room, no e-extra beds…"

I raised an eyebrow. _What the heck is he so flustered about?_ "I _know_ that, you weirdo. I can just sleep on the couch."

Pairo sighed in defeat, but made one last attempt to convince me. "I-I couldn't…"

"Come on, Pairo."

"Okay, okay, fine." he said, throwing up his free hand in mock surrender. "Can I have my arm back now? You sure do have a stronger grip than I remember."

"Whoops!" I released his arm, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry."

He grinned. "No problem."

…

I crept down the small hallway, heading towards the living room. Halfway there, I gazed into my room to see if Pairo was still awake. He wasn't, he was sleeping soundly on his side, with brunette bangs falling over his darkened eyelids. _Poor guy must be exhausted after the Exam,_ I thought.

I quietly made my way into the living room, where I had already set up a makeshift bed on the couch. I sat down on it, turning on the lamp and reaching for the album I always kept at my bedside no matter where I was sleeping. It was my treasure.

The album was filled with pictures of me and my family, all of them roughly in chronological order. I flipped through the pages, my eyes passing over each picture, watching my life up until now fly by with each page I turned.

 _Five years old, six years old, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven…_

 _Twelve._

I was twelve when I met Pairo. He had shown up disheveled and battered at my neighbor's doorstep, blood drying in streams under where each eye used to be.

The first picture wasn't a photo. It was an old drawing. A drawing Pairo treasured even though he couldn't see it.

…..

" _Hey, Pairo?"_

" _Huh?"_

" _This friend of yours, what was he like?" I asked as I pulled out a sheet of paper and my pencil box, fondly remembering what an artist my parents told me I was._

" _Oh…" I was shocked to see what looked like an unhappy expression on his face. Had I upset him? "Well, he was twelve like us, a little bit taller than me…"_

 _I was relieved to see that the expression was thoughtful and not sad._

" _He had blonde hair, a bit longer than mine, and wore a robe like mine, but it was blue instead of red…"_

 _I quickly got to work, putting my mental image from his description onto paper as best I could. I made sure to press down a bit harder with the pencils to make it easier for Pairo to feel instead of see._

 _When I got done, I handed it to Pairo. He passed his hand over it, careful not to miss any detail. Suddenly, he fell silent._

 _I held my breath._ He doesn't like it?

 _Suddenly, he whirled around. I flinched._

 _Then he wrapped his arms around me in the tightest hug i'd ever been given. "It's great. Thank you, Aiko."_

 _I returned the hug, sighing with relief._

…

I smiled, turning the page to see a photo and a piece of notebook paper. The photo showed Pairo and I sitting at a picnic table with bright smiles.

Pairo's smile had always amazed me. Despite everything he'd lost, he still seemed happy.

" _It's because I still have a family. It's not the same as before, but happy and safe all the same. And I still have a best friend. That's you!"_

The sheet of notebook paper was a page from my journal from middle school. It read:

 _Our English teacher asked us to write about our best friend today. I turned the description in to her at the end of class, but I didn't tell the whole truth in it. My friend is more or less a secret._

 _But here, I'll tell the whole truth._

 _My best friend's name is Pairo. He's twelve like me. My neighbors took him in after his clan, the Kurtas, were massacared._

 _He may be blind, but he can do almost anything! He's super brave, and he's super polite, and pretty much anything a best friend needs to be._

 _That's why I feel so lucky that he's my best friend._

Just as I read that last sentence, I felt myself drifting off into a peaceful sleep.


	4. Chapter 4- Things X Left X Unsaid

**Year One: First Encounters**

 _I let out a sigh of boredom. My parents had been talking to the Kathas for a long time._

 _They were talking about the boy they'd found almost a month ago. Talking about how they'd just gotten back from the hospital treating the boy's numerous injuries._

 _I had never met the boy, or even seen him for that matter. I was very curious to see what the fuss was about._

 _I took a moment to make sure nobody was watching, and then I slipped in the Katha's front door._

 _I made a turn and ended up in the dim living room that was only illuminated by the bright sunlight filtering through the window._

 _There, half-hidden under a blanket, was a boy my age with his eyes covered in a white bandage. His head was propped up on a pillow, and he was completely still except for the steady rise and fall of his chest._

 _I stifled a disappointed sigh._ _ **He's asleep. Oh well…**_

 _I turned to leave, deciding to drop by later._

" _Who's in here?"_

 _I jumped. Then, very slowly, I turned around. The boy had turned to face me._

" _I'm sorry. I didn't know you were awake."_

" _No, it's fine. I was just thinking." He paused, his eyebrows furrowing. "Have we met? I don't recognize your voice."_

" _No, we haven't. My name is Aiko, and I'm twelve years old. I'm your neighbor. Nice to meet you."_

" _Aiko, huh?" he said slowly, as if savoring the name. "Hello. My name is Pairo. I'm also twelve." He winced and shifted into a sitting position, revealing another bandage around his lower chest and stomach._

" _Mr. and Mrs. Katha said you were in pretty bad shape when you came here."_

" _You could say that. Are you wondering what happened to me?"_

" _Um, not really. Besides, Mr. Katha said you didn't remember."_

 _Pairo shifted nervously. "W-well, yes…"_

" _I understand. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."_

 _It was silent for a few moments before I spoke again. "Do you want to be friends, Pairo?"_

 _At that moment was the first time I'd ever seen Pairo smile. It was small, but it was genuine. "I'd like that."_

* * *

 **Year Two: Questions**

 _Pairo and I sat on the railing of the boardwalk as the reddening sun began its descent behind the shimmering waters._

" _What's the matter, Aiko? Do you not like your ice cream? You can have mine."_

" _That's okay." I said softly. "Hey, Pairo?"_

" _Yeah?"_

" _I know this is sudden, but… do you think that Kurapika is still alive?"_

 _Pairo flinched. He hadn't expected the question. "Well… I don't know…"_

" _You said that he was away when 'it' happened, right?"_

" _Well, he was, but… if the Genei Ryodan wanted our eyes so badly, they probably hunted him down and killed him." Pairo replied, trying to fight the quiver out of his voice._

" _Oh... " I said. "I'm sorry I asked…"_

" _Don't be. You should finish your ice cream before it melts. I don' t want you leading me around with sticky hands, especially when I'm capable of getting around myself."_

 _I laughed. "Okay, fine."_

* * *

 **Year Three: Together**

" _C'mon, Pairo, you can tell me. Your secret's safe with me."_

" _You're gonna think I'm crazy."_

" _Maybe not."_

 _He sighed. "Fine. I want to become a Hunter so I can capture the Ryodan."_

" _That's right…"_

" _What?"_

" _You_ _ **are**_ _crazy!" I exclaimed. "How could you even think of doing something so dangerous alone?!"_

" _Because there's nobody left to avenge my clan! If I don't do it, who will?" Then, he raised an eyebrow. "'Alone'?"_

" _We should become Hunters together! Then I can be there to help you no matter what insane risks you take!"_

 _Pairo opened his mouth but closed it again, his troubled look slowly becoming a smile. "You're too nice for your own good, Aiko, you know that?"_

* * *

 **Year Four: Goodbyes**

 _The lamp gave the room a sleepy glow in slight contrast to the blackness outside._

 _I sat on my bed, closing my bag that was filled to the brim with everything I was convinced I needed for the Exam (I tended to overpack)._

" _Aiko?"_

 _I jumped, turning to see Pairo leaning against my doorway._

" _You scared me."_

" _Sorry. I just came to… uh…" he stood up straight, an unreadable expression on his face. "I came to say goodbye….personally."_

" _Oh." I stood up as well, brushing aside a dark strand of hair. "That's sweet of you."_

" _I'm really gonna miss you, you know." he said simply, before getting that weird look again. "And I wanted to tell you something else."_

" _Well, go ahead, spit it out."_

" _Did I- um, did I… did I ever…" he went on like that for a moment, never really getting past those three words. "D-did I ever…"_

 _Something about it made me laugh, so I did, and once I started, I found it hard to stop, leaving me laughing at seemingly nothing and Pairo 'staring' dumbly._

 _I finally managed to calm down, wiping the corner of my eye. "What on earth are you stammering about, silly?"_

 _Pairo flashed a crooked smile and forced a laugh. "I forgot."_

 _I giggled and moved forward, wrapping my arms around him and resting my head on his shoulder. "I'm gonna miss you too, Pairo. But don't worry, I'll be back before you know it, and then you can take the Exam, and we'll be Hunters together, like we promised._

 _Pairo sighed, hugging me back. "Yeah… like we promised."_

* * *

 **Year Four: Sweet Smile**

 _The small bell jingled as I opened the door to the cafe that Pairo and I used to visit every Friday for the ice cream it served._

 _Today was another Friday, but it had been over two weeks since I had last seen him._

 _After greeting some of the staff, my eyes trailed to the long rows of booths next to the large windows. Almost immediately I spotted the best friend whom I had missed so much._

 _Trying to bottle up my excitement, I quickly headed over to the booth where sat. "Pairo!"_

 _Pairo perked up, turning in the direction of my voice. "Aiko, you're back!"_

 _I hurried over to him, sliding into the seat across from him. "I missed you!"_

 _The smile on Pairo's face was different. It was almost... relieved? Like he had been holding his breath for as long as he could bear and finally let it out. "I missed you too." he replied in a voice so warm it was comforting to listen to._

 _I wanted to hear more._

 _And so I talked. And talked. And talked, and talked, and talked. I described the Hunter Exam and complained about its hardships, and bragged about how I overcame them. Then, finally, I told him in detail how happy I was to pass and how much I looked forward to seeing everyone again._

 _Pairo listened to everything, nodding and occasionally asking questions. But that sweet smile never left his face._

" _You know, Aiko…" he said finally, "This might sound strange, but… I really missed hearing your voice."_

 _I blinked, a bit surprised by the statement, but seeing his smile seemed to coax my own back onto my face. "Yeah," I said softly, "I missed hearing yours, too."_

* * *

 **Year Five: What Friends Are For**

 _(8:33 PM) Aiko: Pairo's leaving tomorrow._

 _(8:33 PM) Fiona: Really? So is my brother._

 _(8:34 PM) Aiko: I don't doubt Pairo's abilities, but… I'm scared. People DIED during the Hunter Exam, for a lot of different crazy reasons._

 _(8:38 PM) Fiona: I'm worried about Cirrus, too. But you just gotta have faith in them. Pairo had faith in you, and Cirrus had faith in me. They'll be ok._

 _(8:40 PM) Aiko: Woah, what was with that speech? Anyway, thanks. I feel better now._

 _(8:43 PM) Fiona: That's what friends are for! ;) Now, if you need any ROMANTIC advice…_

 _Aiko has left the conversation._

 _(8:44 PM) Fiona: Goodnight to you too, Aiko._

 _Fiona has left the conversation._

* * *

(A.N: I am FINALLY done with this! YES! Anyway, about the chapter, I'm aware I skipped and repeated some years, but that was intentional. Also! We'll take a break from flashbacks for a while starting next chapter, where Pairo discovers his Nen Ability and takes on a new goal: find the Chain User.)


	5. Chapter 5- An X Ominous X Phone Call

_Anonymous has replied to your question: Any Information on the 'Chain User'?_

 _Anonymous: What do you want to know~?_

* * *

"Y-you talked to _who?!_ " Pairo sputtered.

I arched an eyebrow. "Some guy named Hisoka Morrow. Turns out he knows who the Chain User. Why, do you know him?"

Pairo nodded slowly. "Unfortunately. He was an Examiner. If you met him in person, you'd know just how unsettling his presence is."

I still didn't understand, but I decided to continue. "He said that the Chain User was a close acquaintance of his, or something. Maybe he'll contact them for us?"

Pairo brought his hand to his chin in deep thought. "It is a possibility… If Hisoka has any interest in them, they must be pretty skilled, or at least have a great potential. Either way, we'll have to be cautious if we cross paths with them."

I sighed. That wouldn't be good if the Chain User was hostile. Hopefully that wouldn't be the case.

"However," Pairo began, breaking me out of my thoughts, "I had this strange feeling that I know them somehow…"

"You do?"

Pairo paused, but then waved his hand dismissively. "Ah, it's just silly, it's probably nothing."

Something clicked in my head. "Wait, Pairo, what if the Chain User is another Kuruta?"

Pairo shook his head. "The Kurutas are all dead. Every single one of them. There's no way one would've escaped… is there?"

Before I could answer, my phone rang. I pulled it out of my pocket and saw that the number was one that I didn't recognize. "That must be Hisoka."

"You gave that creep your phone number?!"

"Hush up and let me answer this." I said, answering the call and putting it on speaker. "Hello?"

"You're looking for the Chain User, are you not?" an unfamiliar voice said.

Pairo shook his head. "That's not Hisoka." he whispered.

"Yes, or rather it's my friend." I said hesitantly. "Who are you?"

"Save the questions for later. I'm coming to Yorknew soon. Meet me at the enterance to the park, in three day's time, and bring your friend. I'll decide then whether I trust you or not. If you have the slightest feeling that I won't, go with it and don't come, because if you give me just one reason to think that you might be a liability or a danger to me or my cause, I'll kill you on the spot." And with that, whoever it was hung up.

"You're sure that wasn't Hisoka?" I asked shakily after a long silence.

"Absolutely. He sounded way younger and a lot more serious. And he said his cause? Maybe that was his goal to hunt down the Troupe?"

"You mean that was…?"

Pairo nodded. "We just heard the Chain User's voice."

"He sounded pretty dangerous. Should we still show?"

Pairo stood up. "I'm not afraid of him. This is the only way to achieve my goal. I'm meeting with him."

"Then I'm going too." I said, standing up.

"I won't stop you, but if push comes to shove, then you'll stay back and leave it to me."

"No promises." I replied, holding out my hand and releasing my aura. "Magic Eight Dice!"

Suddenly, a small, black, five-sided dice appeared in the palm of my hand. I tossed it into the air. "Will the Chain User attack us?"

The dice came falling back into my hand. The side facing up read: **IT'S UNCLEAR.**

* * *

It had been three days since we had received the call from the Chain User. In those three days, I had been monitoring Pairo's progress in learning Nen even more closely. Speaking of which, he seemed to be using his ability right now.

He stood stock-still, the September wind causing his brunette bands to flutter and reveal more of his bandage. When I looked closely, a faint glow was coming from beneath it.

Suddenly, he raised his arm and put in front of me protectively. "Get back. They're coming."

Normally I would have fussed and reminded him that I was capable of handling myself, but right now I knew that there was no use in arguing now. I took a step back. "Is he alone?"

Pairo paused, then drew in a shaky breath. "No."

My heart sank. We had been tricked, and now we were being ambushed.


	6. Chapter 6- Was X It X Fun?

Pairo and I waited in tense silence as we began to hear footsteps coming towards us. We nearly jumped as the leaves in the tree above us began to rustle. We looked up, but whoever it had been was gone.

Finally, emerging from the crowd of people in the park came a boy in his mid teens with silver white hair and catlike blue eyes. He was wearing a purple jacket and blue jeans. He caught sight of us and stared hard as if he expected us to pounce at any moment.

Next, a boy about the same age came from the hedges, his spiky greenish-black hair covered in stray leaves. He was wearing a green hoodie and black shorts. Rather than being tense like the boy before, he simply blinked at us with curious amber eyes. _That must've been the one who spied on us from the tree,_ I noted.

Third, a surprisingly tall man that looked to be about in his early twenties emerged, followed by a blonde teen somewhere between the boys' and the man's age. The blonde looked pretty calm, in an almost apathetic sort of way. However, when he laid eyes on Pairo, his whole expression changed.

I blinked in confusion. _That guy… seems oddly familiar…_

Pairo hadn't noticed yet. He simply 'stared' ahead in anticipation.

The blonde took a step back, slowly shaking his head in disbelief. His steely grey eyes were filled with shock, but also recognition.

Pairo raised a questioning eyebrow, sensing the teen's change in mood.

"P-Pairo…"

"Huh?"

The blonde, still completely dumbstruck, took into account that Pairo hadn't recognized him. He shakily said something in a language I thought only Pairo knew.

Pairo's expression filled with realization. "Kurapika?"

Kurapika gasped, and his friends looked from him to Pairo in confusion. His eyes glimmered with emotion as he took a few steps forward, slowly heading towards us. "Pairo… Pairo!" He broke into a run.

"Kurapi-oof!" Pairo said as he was pulled into a hug, which he shakily returned. When Kurapika looked up, Pairo ran one hand through Kurapika's blonde hair and placed one on the side of his face, as if making sure he was actually there. "I-it really is you! Kurapika, you're alive!" he exclaimed, his voice thick with oncoming tears.

"I thought you were- I can't believe- I'm so-" Kurapika stumbled over his words, tightening his grip on Pairo. "I missed you so much…!"

Pairo let out a tearful laugh, squeezing right back. "Kurapika," he said. The blonde looked up. "Was it fun?*"

Tears welled up in Kurapika's eyes and spilled down his face. He nodded. "It was, Pairo. It truly was."

The black-haired boy grinned. "Wow, Kurapika looks so happy!" The other boy and the tall one nodded, smiling.

Kurapika backed away from the hug, wiping his eyes. "Pairo, your eyes… are they…?"

Pairo nodded, wiping his eyes as well*. "It's a long story."

Kurapika straightened up. "I have all the time in the world. Come sit down with us."

We followed the four over to a picnic blanket next to one of the benches. Waiting for us there was an adorable little girl looking to be about eleven or twelve with long black hair and blue eyes. "Onii-chan, that was quick!"

The white-haired boy grinned. "Yeah, turns out the one looking for Kurapika was an old friend of his."

I smiled, offering my hand for the girl to shake. "Hi there! My name is Aiko, and this is my friend, Pairo."

The girl beamed and took my hand. "Hi! My name's Alluka!" She pointed to the white-haired teen, "that's my big brother Killua," then to the raven-haired boy, "that's Killua's best friend Gon," and finally to the tall one, "and that's Kurapika's best friend, Leorio!"

Pairo and I sat cross-legged across from the girl, and Pairo cleared his throat. "Well, I guess I'll start from the beginning."

Kurapika nodded.

Gon noticed a serious tone settle over the group and jumped to his feet. "Ah, Alluka, would you like to go get some ice cream? It'll be my treat!" Killua cast him a grateful look.

Alluka jumped up. "Of course! Thank you, Gon!" And with that, they both ran off.

Pairo took a deep breath, then began. "It was six weeks after Kurapika had left the clan for the Outside World. It was just an average day when suddenly, we heard a commotion over where the guards outside the village were located. Next thing we knew, we were ambushed by a strange group of people."

"The Phantom Troupe." Kurapika hissed.

"Yes. My father had told me go inside immediately. I didn't want to, but he was adamant, so I obeyed. I was almost to our hut when I was blocked by a large man with scars across the bridge of his nose. He held up his hands, and the tips popped off! Next thing I knew, he was firing bullets out of his fingers! I tried to run, but my legs had been injured before and weak at the time, so I was hit by two of them. One luckily only grazed my forehead, but the other hit my side and became wedged between two of my ribs, breaking both of them in the process. The pain was so intense, and I was bleeding a lot. I still tried to run, but I passed out. They must've thought I was dead, since they gouged my eyes out while I was unconscious."

Leorio shuddered. "That's horrible. But I figured that the Troupe members would be smart enough to check for a heartbeat or something."

Pairo nodded. "I thought the same thing, but when I came to, I found that something had been slid into my tabard over my chest, preventing anyone from feeling my heartbeat."

"Do you know what that something was?" Killua asked.

"Not at all. When I came to, it was so silent, and the smell of blood was everywhere. The pain in my side was still excruciating, and I was weak from blood loss. I laid there for at least a day and a night until I finally mustered the strength to stand. I hobbled around the village, but I couldn't see anything. As far as I could tell, there wasn't a living soul there, and I was too weak to call for help, so I spent the next five days limping aimlessly until I found a harbor. I somehow snuck onto the boat and fell asleep, when I woke up, I was in Yorknew. Soon after, I stumbled onto the doorstep of Mr. and Mrs. Katha, my adoptive parents. I lived there until I took the Hunter Exam."

"I'm sorry that I never found you, Pairo." Kurapika murmured. "I can't believe we spent eight years unaware of each other…"

"It's not your fault, Kurapika. I'm just glad that you had fun in those eight years." Pairo said, grinning.

"And you, Aiko, was it?" Kurapika said, looking over to me and smiling slightly, "Thank you for taking care of Pairo."

I smiled back at him. "It was no sweat. Sure, he can be a handful sometimes, but he's tolerable most of the time."

"Hey!" Pairo said, feigning annoyance. "I thought _you_ were the crazy one!"

I laughed. "That's debatable. So I guess this whole rivalry thing with the Chain User, er, _Kurapika,_ is off now, huh?"

"Of course!"

Kurapika nodded. "I apologize for sounding so hostile on the phone. I thought you were imposters."

"Nah, it's okay, we probably would've done the same thing." I replied.

Leorio thought for a minute. "So, that means you two are going to look for the eyes and everything together?"

Kurapika smiled again. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

* * *

Lol told you I was bad with emotional scenes :P

*1- what Pairo promised he'd ask when Kurapika returned from the Outside World (from the Kurapika's Past one shot)

*2- this is assuming that even though Pairo's eyes are gone, his tear ducts were left intact, meaning he can still cry.


	7. Extra 1- Ruins

The first thing Pairo felt when he awoke was pain. Pain pulsing through every inch of his body. He couldn't tell if his eyes were open or closed, but he couldn't see anything. He shifted a bit and stifled a cry as agony spread like a web of cracks on breaking glass, all from one spot on his side.

It was completely silent. Not even the birds that roosted in the towering trees dared to make a sound. The air was thick with the bitter scent of blood.

Pairo shivered, wincing again. Night must have fallen. He still couldn't see, and the pain had not dulled.

"Help…" came a barely audible whisper. "Someone help… help us…"

* * *

When morning came, Pairo had managed to drag himself a couple yards. He was so thirsty, and the nearest source of water was still not near enough. Suddenly, something brushed against Pairo's face. Gritting his teeth, he reached out and upon observation, it was a sort of small plant. He plucked it from the ground and began to feebly gnaw on it, eager to soothe his thirst. However, the next second he was cringing at the bitter juices that filled his mouth. Still, with some effort, he was able to finish the first handful.

Not half a minute later, it came back up.

Pairo lay there, sputtering and coughing. Once he regained his composure, he lay flat, listening to the small sounds of the waking animals. Tears cut trails in the blood smeared on his face. _Nobody's coming, are they…?_

 _I'm going to die here._

* * *

Pairo didn't die, which he couldn't tell was a good or bad thing. But what little strength he had was staring to come back, and within another day, he was able to sit up. He found that something was lodged in his side, and he knew that if he didn't get it out, the wound wouldn't close, causing a great risk for infection.

So he hunched over, biting onto one arm and using the other to get his fingers around the object. And, with one great pull, he bit down on his arm, blood seeping into his mouth, and ripped the object from his side. Blood immediately began to spill down his side. He wobbled to his feet, using one hand to press on the wound, and the other to feel his way around. He had begun to fear that his sight would never come back.

He had learned his way around Lukso Province, so wandering around wasn't as hard as he'd anticipated, aside from the many times he tripped.

His destination? Anywhere but here.

 _Everybody must have run away when those people attacked,_ Pairo thought, _and I'll find them once I get out of here._

Little did Pairo know, just as he disappeared into the forest out of earshot, a young blonde stumbled into the village, his horror-filled eyes burning red as he took in the sight of his dead comrades. "Oh no…."

* * *

Kurapika looked up from his mourning, surveying the ruins of his home. He was able to recognize every blood-soaked corpse, from the clan Elder to his own parents. But someone was missing.

He got up, walking in vast circles around the village and looked in all the buildings. No sign of Pairo anywhere.

A short-lived hope filled him as he ran out into the forest. "Pairo, you're not dead, are you? You're just hiding, right? Come on out, it's me!"

But as he kept looking, he began to be filled with dread.

Suddenly, he heard a rustle of fabric and leaves. He whirled around. "Pairo?"

There, snagged in the bushes, was Pairo's tabard, tattered and bloody.

"Pairo… Pairo, you said you'd wait for me…!" Kurapika sunk to his knees. "Pairo, don't leave me here alone!" he wailed, grasping at the grass below him, his shoulders shaking. "Why did I even leave here?! I should be dead like them!" He sat there, trembling and crying even as the sun began to set. Then as the moon rise above the trees, bathing them in it's silver glow, Kurapika stirred. He slowly looked up, his scarlet eyes piercing the darkness.

"I swear…" he said in a ragged whisper, "I'll avenge every single one of you… I'll get your eyes back, and I'll make them pay for what they did. I'll win my revenge."


	8. Extra 2- Elsewhere

"What are you saying?!" Cirrus snapped, the side of his fist colliding with the doorway, making a considerable dent. "She'll die if I don't do something!"

His father, Nizhao, remained stone-faced. "You are far too inexperienced to go after a band of thieves that large. If you do, then it is you who will die."

"Well, who else will do it?! You are all cowards! You won't step out of your comfort zone, even to help a sick eleven-year-old girl!" Cirrus's icy blue eyes blazed as he practically shook with rage.

"Cirrus, try to understand. My comrades and I are trying our best to get the medicine, and the thieves have proven to much even for us. What chance does that give you?"

"At least I'm willing to try and find out." Cirrus growled, whirling around and storming out of the room.

Fiona, his older sister, put a hand on his shoulder. "Cirrus, for once, try and see through Father's perspective-"

"Stay the heck out of this." Cirrus interrupted, his voice dripping with venom. "As far as you all are concerned, she's better off dead." And with that, he yanked his shoulder from her grasp and stalked out of the room.

* * *

Lightning flashed and rain streaked the windows. Cirrus sat on the corner of the bed where his childhood friend lay, her breathing weak and shaky. Three days ago was the last time she'd been awake, or at least awake enough to hold a conversation.

 _I am trying to see through Father's perspective,_ Cirrus thought, gazing down at his pale hands, _but I can't understand why he won't try harder to get the medicine. I may be overreacting, but I can't just sit here while Fuji withers away._ He stood, going over to stand beside Fuji's sleeping form, leaning down and planting a soft kiss on her burning forehead. _I'll be back, but only when I can find a cure for you._ He stood up again, casting one last fond look over his shoulder to his ill friend, before exiting the dark room. _Goodbye for now, Fuji._

As he entered his room, he opened the drawer and pulled out the knife he always carried with him on his missions. Holding the knife in one hand and his silver ponytail in the other, he sliced it off with one swift movement. In the Inbali family, if the sons' hair grew long, they would wear it in a ponytail that resembled their father's. Cutting it off was only to show rebellion. And with that, he took his sword from the foot of his bed and left his room.

He made sure to be completely silent as he headed down the long hallway, but paused in front of Fiona's closed door. He could hear the muffled sound of Fiona talking to her best friend Aiko on the phone. He smiled slightly. _Bye, Fiona. Tell Aiko and Pairo I said hi._

As the lightning flashed again, illuminating the sky for a split second, Cirrus stepped out into the rain. Sleeping outside the doorway was a lean silver wolf with a pale-colored cloth wrapped around one of his forelegs looked up groggily. Cirrus motioned for him to follow. "Come on, Mokhi."

The wolf obeyed, getting up with a stretch and loping after the teenaged boy. With their feet kicking up cold droplets, the two disappeared into the rain.

* * *

The moonlight splayed across the remains of an old sidewalk, bathing it in silver. Various plants sprouted from a multitude of cracks in the withered pavement, and dry, brittle trembled in the breeze.

A young kimono-wearing boy leapt back onto the sidewalk, a thin trickle of blood running down his face from a small but deep cut on his forehead. His magenta eyes darted around, searching frantically for something.

Bursting out of a web of vines came a ghostly-pale boy looking to be only slightly older, his emotionless crimson eyes flickered as they locked on his target.

"You're not him, are you?" The younger one whispered, his voice almost perfectly calm despite how tense the atmosphere was. "Who are you? _What_ are you?"

"You don't know me?" The older one almost pouted, running a pale hand through his spiky black hair. "Are you not the lightning boy?"

Magenta eyes radiated confusion. "Lightning boy? I've not heard of anyone like that."

The spiky-haired boy let out a gusty sigh. "That's disappointing. I suppose I have no business with you then." Then, of all things, he turned to leave.

"Wait." The younger boy's eyes went cold as his fingernails slowly began to shift into claws. "You haven't answered my question. Where is Machi?"

"She's right where I left her. I doubt she's still alive, tho-"

Suddenly, the younger was upon him, a clawed hand aimed right at the nape of his neck.

There was silence. The younger boy stood rigid, his hand buried up to the knuckles in the elder's neck. A dark purple substance soaked his hand.

Suddenly, the spiky-haired boy turned his head slightly. "A clever tactical move. I'm impressed. But even if you cut my head off, my body would continue to fight. That's how an insect works, right?"


	9. Chapter 9- On X To X The Auction!

"And… he just left?" Pairo inquired, concern filling his voice.

Fiona sniffed and nodded. "I found his ponytail and the knife on his bed. That means he's going against the Viper…!" The tears that were brimming in the corners of her eyes slipped down her face. "But he's only thirteen! They'll kill him…!"

I put my arm around her. "It's gonna be alright, okay?" I tried to reassure her, "Cirrus can hold out, at least until we drag him back."

Fiona looked up. "What…? But, what about you guys? You, Kurapika, and Pairo have been anticipating the auction for weeks now, and it's only a few days away!"

I hadn't thought about that. Cirrus was probably halfway across Kakin by now. There was no way we could track him down and catch up with him and be back in time for the auction.

Pairo turned his head slightly in my direction, paying close attention to my emotions.

"I… do you think the Viper will come to the auction, like the Troupe did two years ago? Cirrus might follow them if they do." I asked.

Fiona wiped her eyes. "Yes and no. They'll be close by, but not at the auction itself. They'll likely be participating in the smaller black market auctions below the city."

Pairo brought a hand to his chin thoughtfully. "This is troubling. We can't be at two auctions at once."

Killua suddenly put down his deck of cards and got to his feet. "Leave that to us. I have an idea."

Gon looked up. "What is it, Killua? We're all ears."

Killua nodded. "Okay, first off, any requirements."

"Just one," Pairo replied, "keep separating us to a minimum, in case there's a fight."

"Gotcha. Anyone else?" He glanced around, then cleared his throat. "Well, while Pairo and Kurapika are on the lookout for the Scarlet Eyes, Aiko will be hidden somewhere on the phone, reporting everything to Leorio, and Leorio will be reporting what's going on at the black market. Alluka will be with him, looking out onto the street outside for Cirrus. Fiona will be looking for him inside. That's where Gon and I come in. Gon will be in disguise, pretending to be some shady person looking for some kind of auction. If he spots a member of the Viper, he'll get their attention, like offering to buy if they're selling. If they've got some of the medicine, I'll use Zetsu to sneak up and spring it on 'em. That way, Gon can snatch a few leaves of it. And if they don't have any, I can snatch a member and get him to spill where the medicine is. Even if he doesn't talk, Pairo can read minds."

"I _cannot_ read minds." Pairo objected. "I can read _emotions_ and _auras._ Not minds."

"Either way, the plan's foolproof. I've calculated just about every outcome."

Gon blinked. "How exactly will I be disguised?"

"I dunno, we just gotta make you look shady, like anyone else down there. Not like some overpowered kid snooping around from criminals." Killua looked him over. "Maybe we could use a dress."

" _Huh?!"_

"Come on, nobody could possibly recognize you that way! We'd have to flat-iron your hair, though, and maybe see if Kurapika has one of those wigs from two years ago. I'm sure _he_ could give you some pointers on being feminine."

" _Excuse_ you." The blonde growled.

"It might actually work." I said. "But let's keep embarrassing poor Gon to a minimum, okay?"

* * *

Killua didn't listen to me. It wasn't even close to time to leave, in fact I was just getting my breakfast ready, when I heard rustling of fabric and the sound of the fifteen-year-olds bickering coming from my living room. _How did they even get in?_

"Gon, _stay still_!" Killua hissed. _Was that_ my _dress from high school?_

"No! Forget it!" Gon cried, shoving Killua back. "I'm _not_ wearing this! It won't work, okay?!"

Killua yanked my dress from Gon's hands and tried to shove it back over his head. I winced. Suddenly, with a loud _Ri-i-ip!_ Gon's head tore out of the back as he gasped for air.

With an angry huff, I marched over to them and snatched up my torn dress. "What are you two _doing?!"_

Gon looked up at me, startled. "Aiko, what're you doing here?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing!"

"Oh, Pairo leaves the apartment window open for us when he wakes up, since we come so often!"

I arched an eyebrow. "But why the window?" That's when I remembered that back at the house where I grew up, if Pairo wanted to talk to me, he'd just climb up onto the roof and wait outside my window. I would almost always see him sitting there when I came home from school. I had no idea how he'd find his way up there, but I guess he sees it as a common entrance now.

I let out a gusty sigh. "Are the others here, too?"

Killua shook his head. "Well, except Alluka, of course. She's on the balcony. But the others are coming over later before we leave for the auction.

"And you're _still_ going with the crossdressing idea?"

"No!" Gon whined.

"Yes." Killua corrected. "Or do either of you have a better idea?"

Gon pouted, shaking his head. "But I still don't see why one of the actual girls can't do it."

"Because Aiko's gonna be at the real auction with her boyfriend-"

" _Best_ friend." I corrected.

"Whatever. And Alluka and Fiona are gonna be on the lookout for Cirrus. I told you that." Killua finished. "Maybe you can help, Aiko."

"If you mean by helping with Gon's disguise, I think you'd better ask Fiona. I'm not good at this sort of thing." I pulled out my phone.

 _(9:38 AM) Aiko: Fiona, got any ideas on how to properly disguise a fifteen-year-old?_

 _(9:41 AM) Fiona: Too many to put in text. ;) I'll be over in 10._

* * *

The apartment was quiet aside from the occasional protest from Gon.

"It's not _that_ bad, kid! You're almost as fussy as Cirrus, and that's saying something! Besides, if this one doesn't work, I have an even better idea up next!"

"That's what you said three tries ago, Miss Fiona!"

Killua and Alluka were practically on the edge of their seats in anticipation. Leorio was trying to listen to what was going on (something that Pairo had no problem with, I could see from his amused smile), and Kurapika pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation.

Finally, out stepped Fiona. "Time to see if your crossdressing idea worked, Killua!" Gon shuffled out after her.

Killua clasped both hands over his mouth, trembling with contained laughter. There was silence.

"Gon-san, you're so pretty!" Alluka piped up.

That definitely broke Killua, and most of the others. Even Kurapika was making faces to keep from smiling.

'Pretty' wasn't exactly the word I would use to describe it. I didn't even know if the colorful cloth draped over his body could be considered a dress, and his freshly straightened hair hung loosely in his face.

"Well, I think he looks great." Pairo added. Gon shot him a glare.

"Hey." I said in a half-scold, half-giggle, swatting Pairo's arm. "No blind jokes."

"Okay, that's it. This plan might work, but this disguise won't. My fashion sense may be a bit strange, but I look absolutely ridiculous."

Kurapika scanned over him with grey eyes. "You're right, Gon. You look like a total imbecile."

Gon whined. "Kurapika, that was harsh!"

"It's not you, Gon!" Alluka reassured. "It's that outfit."

Fiona crossed her arms, leaning against the doorway. "Do any of you think you can do better?"

"Probably not, but I can give it a try." I said. "Killua, your sense of fashion is one of the better ones in the group, so could you help me?"

Killua nodded. "But we'd better be quick. The auction starts in a few hours."

"Let's hurry, then."

* * *

I stepped back. "I think he looks pretty good."

Killua shrugged. "If looking like some pilot is what you were aiming for."

Gon adjusted his goggles with gloved hands. "I'll take what I can get, if it means not trying any of Fiona's ideas again."

"I don't blame you, but it isn't her fault. Her family is part of a widespread alliance of Hunters that live in the unmapped areas of the world. She was probably trying to mimic an outfit she's seen on her travels." I replied.

"She could've at least used one that made Gon look like a mentally stable person." Killua retorted.

"Alright, I think we're done here. You guys ready to find some thieves?" I asked.

"Definitely!" The boys replied.

* * *

Kurapika led the way to the brightly-lit and tall building that was barricaded by endless clumps of traffic. We had gone over our plans for every situation we could think of several times. We felt prepared for anything.

Suddenly, Kurapika stopped, slowly looking around. "Do either of you smell that?"

"Is that blood…?" I whispered.

Pairo nodded. With his heightened sense of smell, he was probably right. He pointed to the left. "There's a very weak aura coming from that little building. I think it's abandoned. But watch out, whoever that is is in a state of panic and might attack us."

Kurapika and I exchanged glances. Pairo's Hatsu never ceased to surprise us.

"Should we go in, Kurapika?" I asked.

Kurapika glanced at his watch. "We still have a little while before the auction, so we have time, but is it safe to go?"

I shrugged. "Pairo said the aura's weak, so if they put up a fight we should be able to take them on."

Pairo motioned for us to follow. The building was crumbling in on itself, and was entangled in many twisting clusters of vines. Behind it was a steep slope, and on top of it a cracked sidewalk. Inside the building was almost completely barren. We noticed that there was a considerable hole in the ceiling, and below it was a pile of broken stone and glass, and…

I yelped. Slowly rising from the rubble was what looked like a child of around eleven or twelve. Their black hair hung over their eyes, and their pale skin covered in angry bruises and nasty cuts. They climbed from the mess of stone and glass and gave us a fierce glare with piercing magenta eyes, only for their knees to buckle as they tumbled onto the cold floor below with a _thump!_.

After a moment of hesitation, Pairo headed over to them, kneeling beside them. I followed.

"He's unconscious." Pairo declared.

"What in the world happened to him?" I wondered aloud.

Before Pairo could answer, my phone rang, the sound resonating through the empty building. The sound caused the boy to stir, but Pairo placed a firm hand on his back, telling him to stay still.

"Hello?"

"Aiko, it's Killua. We were wondering if your auction has started yet."

"No, we still have a few minutes. How are things with you?"

"Everything's going pretty smoothly, aside from the fact that there's a brat following us around town." Killua replied, an edge of irritation in his voice. "I can tell he's got hardly any tracking experience, so he's probably not dangerous. But we're keeping our guard up just in case. No sign of Cirrus yet."

"Okay. And speaking of which, we actually found a kid here, too. He's in pretty bad shape, but from what I can see he has black hair and he's really pale."

Killua stayed silent for a moment, before asking, "Did you get to see his eyes?"

"Never seen eyes that color before. They were magenta."

Even more silence.

"Aiko, that's my younger brother..!"


	10. Final X Curtain X Call (Part One)

_Okay, it has been forever. This chapter switches from Aiko's point of view to a third person point of view, so I guess this could be viewed as an extra? Maybe?_

* * *

"Your brother?!" Aiko echoed.

"Yeah! I thought he was back home at the mansion! You said he was injured?" Killua replied.

"Uh-huh. The cut on his forehead is pretty deep, and I think it's getting infected." Aiko said. She started to say something else, but suddenly Killua reached out to grab something.

It was then that Killua picked up a struggling boy of around eight or nine by the arm. "Got you now, brat." As the boy kicked and squirmed, his jacket slipped off, and Killua spotted the tattoo on his arm. It depicted a viper coiled around the boy's arm, baring its fangs.

The boy tried to run off, but Killua grabbed him again, this time wrapping an arm tightly around the boy's torso, his fingernails beginning to sharpen. "Don't move."

Wild amber eyes fixed on Killua's azure ones before the little one cupped his hands around and began to call out: "Venom!"

He was about to call it again, but Killua gave him a hard chop on the back of his head to knock him unconscious. But it was too late, yells of reply erupted from spots around the city. Killua cursed under his breath. _They've been watching us the whole time, waiting for this to happen!_

"Killua, what's happening?!" Aiko asked urgently.

Killua put the phone up to his cheek. "It's an ambush. We're being attacked by the Viper!"

The call went dead. I turned to Pairo and Kurapika, who were waiting for me to give them the details. "That was Killua. The Viper's attacking the Black Auction!"

Kurapika gritted his teeth, his grey eyes taking on a reddish hue.

"What are we going to do now?" Pairo voiced my thoughts.

"What about the Troupe, Kurapika?" I added. "Maybe just one of us can go back, and the other two can keep going to the Auction-"

Kurapika shook his head. "The Troupe is going to have to wait. If the Viper is attacking, that takes the top priority."

I nodded my agreement. Suddenly, Pairo whirled around, indicating he had noticed a presence before we had.

Just then, a shadowy figure leapt into view, darting past me to reach out and snatch Killua's little brother from Pairo's grasp. "I'll take that."

"Hey!" I snapped, immediately pursuing him, despite Pairo yelling for me to wait.

As I chased the figure out into the street, I heard Kurapika and Pairo's footsteps behind me, but I didn't slow for them. Not that I needed to, as they caught up with me within seconds.

 _This is Killua's brother, so he's got to be worth saving, right?_

After I chased him without gaining for what seemed like hours, we came to the location that Killua had called from. There I spotted him and Leorio in a struggle with three other boys.

The figure I'd been chasing practically tossed the young Zoldyck to the tallest of them, and the tall one took off, with someone in pursuit of him.

Was that… was that _Alluka?!_

* * *

Phoenix skidded to a halt behind one of the towering buildings, panting.

"Hey!" The sudden voice nearly made him jump. He turned around, preparing to quickly kill whoever it was that caught up to him.

It was a young girl with long black hair and bright blue eyes that glared at him fiercely. "You can't take him away! Can't you see he's hurt and sick?"

"Keh, and I'll gladly make you worse than him if you so desire." Phoenix retorted.

"I know I'm not strong enough to take you on, but please, you can't hurt him more.' She took a shaky breath. "If you're going to take someone, take me instead."

"How noble of you. So, what's the catch, doll?"

"No catch. But I can't guarantee you'll live through what Big Brother will do to you if you mess with one of us."

"Tough talk. I like girls like you. Makes me think you'd make a great group member."

"Alluka!" A voice cried in the distance.

Phoenix turned to her. "You comin'?"

Alluka cast one look back, but nodded shakily and stepped toward Phoenix, who dropped the youngest Zoldyck onto the pavement and grabbed Alluka by the arm, taking off as fast as he could.

Just as he disappeared around the corner, Killua skidded into view, blue sparks disappearing from around him. Gon arrived seconds later,pointing. "There's Kalluto!"

Killua hurried over to his wounded brother, gently shaking his shoulder. "Hey! Can you hear me?"

Gon knelt beside him, eyes darting around in search of Alluka. "Kalluto! What happened to Alluka! Please tell us!"

Killua shook his head. "It's no use. He's out cold. I'll find that guy and kill him myself. He can't take Alluka way from me and walks away from it alive." His eyes were cold as he stood up. "Gon, get Kalluto back to the apartment and I'll call you. I'll tell you where he is and we'll take him together. We're getting Alluka back _tonight._ "

Gon nodded. "Promise you won't attack him before you call!"

Killua didn't turn around. "I'll try, but I don't promise." And with that, he took off.

* * *

The boys were surrounding us now. There eyes truly were like snakes'.

The same one who'd snatched Kalluto motioned for the others to back up. "Gen, Rona, Aki, stay back. I'm takin' them first."

A younger boy with tousled black hair whined. "Hugo, that's not fair! You said _I_ could take the next ones!"

Hugo sighed. "Next time, okay? I promise."

The younger one scowled, but backed away. "Fine, but if you break your promise the next person I'm fighting is you."

"Deal. Now…" Hugo's eyes trailed back to us. "Who am I fighting first? And let's go somewhere else, a street fight would be lame." He pointed to each one of us. "Eenie, meenie, miney… You, No-Eyes."

Pairo nodded curtly. "Challenge accepted." He turned and motioned for Hugo to follow.

As he brushed past me, I grabbed his arm. "Can you beat him, Pairo?" I whispered.

Pairo stopped. "I don't know yet." he whispered back, then smiled. "You still have a death grip, Aiko."

Hugo arched an eyebrow. "Save the goodbyes, No-Eyes. If you're gonna miss your girlfriend that badly you can take her with you. That way I don't have to make trips after I kill you."

"Hugo, was it?" I asked, almost startled by the icy edge to my tone. "If you harm a single hair on Pairo's head, if you end up having to fight me next, I'll win. And I won't leave you in one piece."

Though I wasn't sure I meant it. How was it that these boys, all much younger than me, had me just as anxious as the thought of the Troupe?


	11. Final X Curtain X Call (Part Two)

"Sis, c'mon!" A dark-haired teen called, following a slightly-older girl into a house. "Don't leave me hanging! What's wrong with you?"

The girl stormed into the kitchen and slammed her hands on the counter in frustration. "That Kurapika, darn him!"

The boy calmed down a little and sighed. "It's about Kurapika, then?"

"I… I still couldn't get a hold of him, Wren. I don't even know where he _is_!" The girl said shakily, her hands balling into fists. "What if… what if he's gone and gotten himself killed out there, somewhere? What if he died long ago and I just didn't know?"

"Oh, come on, Lyra, don't say that! It hasn't been all that long since he came back to the harbor, right?" Wren asked, glancing at a picture on the desk, showing him with Lyra and Kurapika. Wren was grinning widely at the camera, and so was Lyra, who had her arm around Kurapika's shoulders. Kurapika glared at the camera, wringing his hands in embarrassment. Wren figured Giz must've taken that photo, probably six or seven years ago. _It might not have been that long since we've seen Kurapika, but it certainly has been a while since that time… things were a lot different then._

"It's been two and a half years since I've seen him, and almost that long since he's called. Maybe that's not a lot to you, but to me it's… it's different…" Lyra's voice broke and her shoulders began to tremble.

Wren turned back to Lyra, realizing she was crying. "Aw, sis! Don't cry!" he said, walking over to stand beside his sister. "You wouldn't want Kurapika to see you worked up like that, right?"

Lyra crossed her arms, turning away stubbornly. "That doesn't work anymore."

Wren arched an eyebrow. "Geez, it's like you're eighteen, going on six. Now _that's_ a side of you I'm sure Kurapika's not gonna want to see."

Lyra huffed, wiping her eyes. "Kurapika this, Kurapika that! Why do you keep mentioning him? You know what? I'm done with that guy! I'll be better off without him!" she said, heading briskly into her room and shutting the door.

Wren blinked, dumbfounded. "Wh-? Hey! You don't mean that! Weren't you the one whining about him a second ago? Lyra!"

* * *

 _No, no, no…_ Killua repeated this in his head as he followed the droplets of blood on the sidewalk. _That's not Alluka's blood. It can't be…_

He'd find that monster. He'd find him and he'd rip him apart.

"Hey. Shorty."

Killua almost ignored the voice, but he was stopped when the figure slid in front of him.

"Get out of my way, or I'll kill you first."

"Hold on a second. You're the assassin from that gang of kids, right?" The figure asked, his face barely visible from the shadows.

Killua gritted his teeth, shoving past the stranger. He didn't even have time to kill him. Alluka was the top priority.

"If you can't locate him with your En, you're already too late. Once Phoenix gets a victim, the moment he can't sense you anymore, he kills them."

Killua stopped, his blood running cold.

"That girl was a feisty one, though. She didn't fight back, but Phoenix told me she insisted you would come save her. That he'd be sorry." The stranger laughed. "She had a lot of faith in you."

Killua, virtually blinded by the tears that sprang into his eyes, whirled around and plunged his nails into the stranger's stomach.

The figure, now looking to be about eighteen, coughed a spray of blood onto the concrete and dropped to his knees.

"Remember that." Killua hissed. "And if I ever see your ugly mug again, you won't live to remember it." And with that, he took off again.

There was more blood. Drop by drop, it made a trail to the fence a few yards ahead. Blue sparks crackled through the air as Killua bolted to the fence, seeing that it was an overlook to the waterway. But another thing he noticed was the bigger splatter of blood on the bank. Biting his lip, Killua jumped the fence and skidded to the stain.

There, in the large scarlet spot, was a little, cracked, pink smiley face. The same one that Alluka wore in her hair. It smiled up at him through the beads of scarlet that clung to it.

Killua's breathing caught in his throat. As the blue sparks died in midair, he ran knee-deep into the waterway, looking around wildly.

"Alluka! Alluka! Please, Alluka, _please_ answer me! Big Brother's here, just like you said I'd be! Alluka! Alluka, please…" Clenching his teeth, he dove into the frigid water, reaching into the blackness to locate something, anything...

His hand closed around a small object, and he immediately swam to the surface, shaking his head and examining the item. Another smiley face. With his heart thundering in his chest, Killua ducked back under the water, but it was no use. He couldn't see anything, and his hands only touched hard-packed earth when his hands brushed the bottom.

When he rose to the surface again, he mustered all of his voice to call out Alluka's name. The yell bounced off the nearby buildings back to him, carrying no reply. He strained every sense for some sign of his sister or the boy who took her away, but there was nothing. "Alluka, why'd you give yourself for Kalluto? It's not fair…"

" _The moment he can't sense you anymore, he kills them."_

Killua's eyes darkened as he swam further out. "I'll kill him! I'll kill that monster! I'll kill all of them!"

He would've dove underwater again if he hadn't been grabbed by the back of his jacket and pulled out from the water, further and further back until he was put on the shore. He looked up to see Leorio standing over him, panting. With a growl of frustration he tried to leap into the water again, but the doctor held him back.

"Killua, it's no use!"

"Let me go! They took Alluka! I'll kill them and bring her back!"

"If that guy had meant to kill Alluka, he would've killed her and Kalluto both in the alley before you got there!"

Killua wouldn't listen to a single word. "No! Let me go!"

Leorio's grip held firm. "Alluka isn't dead, and she won't be if we don't go rushing in blindly! They must want something from us, so let's figure that out before we jump straight to killing them."

Killua gave one last angry yell before covering his face with his hands, sobbing with frustration.

Leorio put a supportive hand on his back. "I promise, as soon as this auction thing settles down, we'll come up with a way to get your sister back. We just have to find out where they're all coming from…"

Suddenly, Killua's phone buzzed, but he made no move to answer it. Instead, Leorio slipped the phone out of Killua's coat pocket. The call was from Gon.

"Hello?"

"Leorio! Where's Killua?!" Gon asked frantically.

"He's safe, but we lost track of Alluka…"

"What?!" Anger rose in Gon's voice.

"Listen, Gon, I think these guys are picking a fight with us for a reason. We need to find a way to get to them and get her back safely."

Gon took a deep breath before continuing, sounding a little calmer. "Leorio, I called because on my way back, I found someone else that guy must've attacked."

"Really? What do they look like?" Leorio asked.

"I… I know who she is… It's Canary!"

* * *

For someone who had no eyes, Pairo had one of the hardest, most serious stares I'd ever seen. Right now, the looks he and Hugo were giving each other seemed to be doing the fighting for them.

Right now we stood in the empty parking lot of a closed-down supermarket. The street lights were old and dim, and they flickered on and off once in a while. Nobody was around to see the fight about to unfold.

"Tell me something, Hugo." Pairo spoke, still not thinning the tension. "Have you ever heard of the Kuruta?"

"Yeah. Machi told me about 'em." Hugo replied. "Too bad you don't have those glowing eyes anymore. I really won't get any fun out of killing you, huh? Now, sorry, but I've got a short attention span, so let's speak with our actions!" And with that, he took off, moving so fast he seemed to vanish.

Then, quick as a flash, he appeared in the air high above Pairo. "How about it, No-Eyes?" he called, pulling a big knife from his pocket.

Pairo launched himself into the air to meet Hugo, clenching his first striking fist.

"Pairo, don't!" I called, realizing Hugo's strategy. Since Pairo had to rely on his other four senses, Hugo was at an advantage in the air.

Pairo tensed, realizing the strategy, too.

"Here's my greeting to you!" Hugo declared.

Pairo moved, up rather than down. He passed over Hugo's head, delivering a kick between the young Viper's eyes. Then, once behind Hugo, he dipped down, delivering a barrage of punches between Hugo's shoulders. With the final crushing blow, Hugo was sent hurtling into the front wall of the supermarket, creating a large cloud of dust as chunks of stone rained down onto the pavement.

 _Got 'im!_ I thought with a grin. _That's my Pairo!_

Hugo emerged from the pile of rubble, spitting a splatter of blood onto the sidewalk. Pairo had caught him off guard. "Well, if you're that straight-forward, we can skip the formalities." Hugo said, pointing his knife in Pairo's direction.

My eyebrows furrowed. Pairo had managed to deal the first major blow, but the fight was only just beginning.

Would he continue to be this lucky?

* * *

 **A.N.: I DID IT. Wow, it's been over a year since I updated this fic! So sorry for the delay! This is the first part of the final chapter, but the story for Pairo, Aiko, and their friends is far from over! There will be sequels to this fic, but I'd better not get ahead of myself just yet. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


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